Lost and Found
by greekgirl211
Summary: Rose is a Moroi who had been seperated from her father by a Strigoi attack. She's critically injured and on the run from her deadly enemies who would stop at nothing to get her. Will she manage to reach St. Vlads and get back to her father in time?
1. Prologue

He scanned the crowd of bloodied and wounded guardians with distressed eyes. Even with his sharp eyesight, he was still unable to catch sight of the hazel brown hair that he had grown fond of and loved. A strange unfamiliar panic bubbled up within him. Swallowing the emotion, he reached toward the closest guardian he could find. Serena Romanov. Her face was caked with dried blood and her dark brown hair was matted with sweat and dirt. She bowed slightly as a greeting.

"Lord Mazur."

He nodded his head to her half heartedly before focusing on the immediate problem at hand.

"Have you seen Rose?" he asked, his eyes flitting from face to face frantically.

A shocked expression crossed her face before she regained her composure and shook her head remorsely, although the worried glint in her eye hadn't left.

"No sir. I haven't seen her since this morning."

He struggled to keep his emotions in check but failed, miserably. Without his consent, a few distressed tears formed at his eyes, shocking Serena incredibly as she had never seen her boss cry.

"The where is she then?" he snapped, his eyes developing a half crazed light in them, tears shining.

She shook her head anxiously, mildly frightened by his mental stability. "She might be with Guardian Taurus. He was with her last time I checked."

Managing to keep his cool, he nodded stiffly and, with a quick 'thank you', returned to searching for the only person he kept close to his heart.

"Guardian Taurus!" he shouted as he caught sight of the familiar blonde head. In his disoriented state, he barely registered Taurus's shimmering eyes. But when he did, his breath caught, his heart stopped, his mouth dropped. He was afraid to ask the question but knew it was the only way to find out the truth.

"Where is she?" he asked in a voice barely audible even to Dhampir ears. The emotion carried in that one question shocked Taurus and the surrounding guardians within earshot till no end. But, considering this _was_ her he was talking about, it would be hard to repress their sorrow. Not trusting himself to speak, he instead shook his head. It all happened in a second. A hard weight thrust itself upon him, his back collided with something hard and rough and he realized with shock that he had been pinned against the tree by the angry mobster.

"Where is she?" he screamed madly.

His hands shook with desperation and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. Guardian Taurus hung his head in shame.

"They took her. They knocked me unconscious and took her."

His voice broke and two lines of moisture snaked down his cheeks.

The mobster broke down all together. His limp hand dropped from Taurus's shoulder, where he had pinned him, and he dropped to his knees. Choked sobs escaped his throat. His hands moved to cover his face before the tears leaked out. His shoulders shook.

Rosemarie Mazur had been taken by Strigoi.

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><p><em>Yes, yes, yes. I know what you all are thinking. 'Ugh, she's done another one' I know I probably deserved that but seriously, can you blame me? So many raw ideas just bursting at the seams! Anyway, this is the super short prologue. <strong>Hope you like it<strong>. Remember to still **REVIEW** to this event after I **upload the next chapter**._


	2. Chapter 1: Specializing

_Hey, this is the first chapter to my VA story. _

_Anyway, just to clarify things._

_- Rose is Moroi_

_- Abe is her father but Janine is **not** her mother, got that?_

_- Rose is sixteen with super natural Moroi powers and she can kick awesome butt_

_- You'll guess what her specialization is later ;D_

_Disclaimer: I don't own VA in any way_

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><p>Waves of fear came off Rose as she ran through the forest. The high that she felt from the endorphins of the bite were wearing off but they were still well into her blood system. Of course, she knew she when should have been relieved since the numbness helped take her mind off of her broken arm, which she cradled close to her body. The Ancients sent after her had not ceased their search yet and her mind held one sided determination to get as far away as possible. She was now thankful for the running lessons from Guardian Zeldos which she had previously hated. She probably now had the speed of an average newly awakened Strigoi.<p>

Amazing for a sixteen year old such as her or anyone else for that matter.

The trail she ran was incredibly disconcerting. Trees lined her every path and every angle she turned saw looked the same. Her sense of direction was totally lost and she could only hope that she was not running straight into Strigoi arms. Despite her speed, her energy was decreasing quickly. It would only be a matter of minutes before it all ran out. What made it worse was that a pounding headache was developing in her temple and the fact that black spots had started dancing in her vision. In her struggle to stay upright, she almost slammed into the trunk of a tree. A line of profanities escaped her mouth. The pain in her temple was killing her and the fatigue was beginning to settle in. Using the last of her energy reserves, she managed to get in one final sprint before she collapsed in a heap at the base of a huge birch tree.

The spots were dominating her vision now, dancing around her irises and dipping, rising randomly. She clutched at her head, teeth gritted to prevent unwanted screams. The pain was unbearable. A scorching hot pain spread throughout her body. She convulsed silently, tears pouring down her face. She would give everything for Strigoi to find her at that moment and end her pain. She missed her father terribly. His flashy scarves and all. Only then did the full situation hit her. She had been separated from her only family by a pack of blood thirsty Strigoi who had apparently taken a huge interest on her, and wanted to turn her Strigoi. What's more, a group of Ancients were hot on her heels and it would probably only be a matter of moments before they found her. Tears flushed down her face and heart wrenching sobs escaped her. Then, blackness as sweet as dark waters dragged her under.

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the incredible pain in her arm. She winced, pulling herself up and leaning herself against the tree. She realized, by some miracle, that she was alive and relatively unscathed besides her broken arm and the multiple bite marks on her neck. Sheens of sweats lined her forehead and she reached up to wipe it away. Bad mistake. A stab of pain travelled along her wrist to her chest. She released a gasp of pain. Using what energy was left in her body, she used her, probably also hurt, left arm to pull up her shirt. She almost fainted when she saw the dried blood caking a long, deep gash from her wrist to mid chest. Apparently she wasn't that unscathed as she originally assumed. But at least the headache was gone. Resisting the urge to puke, she hesitantly picked at the blood, wincing whenever she touched the fresh wound. As she cleaned the area around her wound, she didn't notice the sounds of soft footsteps heading slowly toward her. That is until they were only a few meters away. Her head whipped up, and, ignoring the blinding pain throughout her body, jumped into a fighting stance. The effort it took for her to stand almost knocked her unconscious but she managed to push through and plant herself onto her feet.

"Who's there?" she called in a voice which clearly hadn't been used for a long time.

The silhouette of the body shape of a supposed guardian lined the canopy of trees but she didn't want to take any chances. Sure enough, a guardian who was six inches shorter than her and a mop of curly red hair stepped out from the trees. Thankfully, her eyes weren't circled with red.

She took a deep breath.

"Thank god," she murmured before she collapsed again, the effort used to straighten herself clearly too much for her.

She waited for the inevitable impact with the ground but, to her surprise, she remained aloft. Slowly, she forced open her eyes. Brown eyes. That was the first thing she noticed of the guardian. The guardian who was holding her upright and watching her with concern filled eyes. Realizing she was awake, her mask slipped on, though her arms still remained on her shoulders.

"Hello, miss?" she asked, her tone all business with a hint of worry.

She managed to hold on to that one shred of consciousness.

"Yes?" she gargled.

Relief flashed on her face for a second but soon disappeared.

"Miss, what is your name?"

She searched her mind for the answer to the simple question.

"My name is… Rose," she was tired and was in obvious need of blood but she managed to stay awake.

"What's your surname Rose?" The guardian asked in a worried voice. She probably noticed that she was on the verge of passing out.

She fell unconscious before she could answer.

Rose awoke to the feel of something thick and incredibly delicious liquid travelling down her throat. It took her a minute to fully remember the events that lead of to the pain in her body but when she did, she flinched. Her eyes shot open and she found herself staring down at the face of the guardian she had seen earlier. Her mouth was at her neck. With a sudden gasp, she released the ecstasy filled guardian and wiped away the blood dribbling from her chin. She watched as she slowly came to.

"Hello?" she asked. A light of recognition lit the guardian's eyes.

Her eyes widened briefly, her hand travelling to her punctured neck. Her guardian mask slipped into place.

"Are you alright now?" she asked, a hint of embarrassment coloring her words. Probably at the fact that a Moroi had drank from her.

Rose nodded gratefully.

"Thank you…" she paused, waiting for the Guardian to name herself.

She immediately picked up on it.

"Guardian Hathaway."

She smiled something which Rose returned.

"Well, thank you Guardian Hathaway."

She then looked around quizzically, the past days events slowly seeping through the heavy fog in her mind.

"By the way, do you know where we are?"

Guardian Hathaway nodded and shakily pulled herself up onto her feet. The effects of the feeding hadn't faded yet and it would be a while before it did so. But at least the glazed look in her eyes had left.

"We're in Montana, close to the school."

Rose racked her brain for the double meaning in her words then her eyes widened in realization. Without consent, an excited gasp escaped her.

"You're talking about Saint Vladimir, aren't you?" she asked in an excited tone.

The guardian smiled.

"Yes," she said, outstretching a hand for her to grasp.

She smiled gratefully and graciously accepted it. The moment her hand came into contact with the guardian's calloused skin, an unexpected feeling passed through her. Hot, cold, hot, cold. Feelings of happiness exploded within her.

Rose blinked in an attempt to wipe away the stars from her vision. On a strange impulse, her eyes immediately travelled to where the guardian's punctured neck was. Only, it wasn't punctured anymore. She gasped.

"Oh my god!" she whispered in an awed voice, "How the heck did that happen?"

The guardian, still in her dazed state, reached up to touch her newly smoothened skin. She held the same amount of awe in her face as Rose did.

"We need to take you back to St. Vlads, now!" she muttered in an urgent voice. Grabbing her hand, she pulled her deeper into the forest. She wasn't able to catch up with her at first because of her shock but soon after, it wore off and she was able to catch up, and surpass her. Rose looked behind her in mild amusement. But she slowly found herself slipping into a sea of questions. How was she able to heal the guardian's neck? That hadn't happened before. Not even when Melony –a friend of Rose- had grazed her knee. She hadn't been able to heal that nonetheless a guardian's injury. She snapped out of her reverie to the sound of somebody shouting her name. She stopped mid stride and looked behind. Surprisingly, the Guardian was now miles behind her and was panting heavily. It took her a while to reach her hearing distance but when she did, she could faintly hear her wheezing,

"How did you manage to go that fast?"

Rose shook her head, a mischievous gleam entering her eyes.

"Trade secret, sorry can't tell."

She giggled when she saw the guardian's face crease into a scowl. She had managed to reach Rose by that time.

All of a sudden, a crack of a twig drew their attention. Rose knew who it was before Guardian Hathaway knew it herself.

"Move it!" she shouted hysterically, grabbing a hold of her arm and pulling her sharply to the right.

Not a moment too soon because right where they had just been standing where the red-eyed creatures of the dark. The Ancients themselves. Beside her, the guardian gasped.

"They're not supposed to be grouped that largely!" she heard her muttering under her breath, still frozen solid.

Rose swallowed a snarl of annoyance.

"Well, guess what, they are and unless you want to be dead in the next five seconds, I suggest we, RUN!"

That shook Guardian Hathaway out of her shock and they took off at a sprint toward the school, Guardian Hathaway pulling her stake out from her a hidden pocket. Rose knew she could have taken down at least two of the Ancients due to her advanced training and unusual Dhampir build but with the five who were chasing after them it would be almost impossible to defeat. _Almost_. She took a backward peek at the guardian trailing behind her. She was already gasping for breath and looked ready to faint any moment now. Rose made a split second decision. In one fluid movement, she halted and, spinning at her heels, turned around, taking the guardian by surprise. Which was exactly what she wanted. She made a grab for the stake.

"Go!" she yelled at the guardian, who had frozen again and was staring at her in disbelief.

"But you'll be killed!" she retorted, still not making a move for the school surrounded by protection wards in the distance.

"I'll be fine," she insisted. The Strigoi were nearing every second she spent talking. "I'm not like average Moroi. Just get some reinforcement. Hopefully, I'll still be alive by the time you reach here."

She gave her a weak smile before turning to face their enemies again, who were barely meters away. Her sensitive picked up on feet moving fast over leaves and she thanked her lucky stars that the guardian had listened for once. She knew how hard it must've been for her to leave her behind because of the oath they swore –_They come first_- but if she wanted to help, she would provide more if she could assemble a group of guardians, with stakes, to come to her assistance. She forced all her senses to return to the oncoming threats who were close enough so that she could smell their rotten breaths on them. Repulsive.

To tease them, she allowed a smirk to grace herself.

"Hey, guys. Long time no see! How are you?"

The Strigoi, not at all bothered by her casual attitude, smiled creepily. Drawing up their lips and showing their yellow, decaying fangs.

"Rosemarie," the lead Strigoi greeted.

Rose felt her eye twitch imperceptibly when she heard her full name.

"Don't call me that," she growled menacingly.

The Strigoi smirked when he saw that he had managed to get under her skin.

"The master's been expecting you, _Rosemarie_." Another twitch. "And you know it's not good to keep your host waiting."

She snorted when she heard that ridiculous notion.

"_Host_?" she exclaimed, "Knowing you, I'd probably be dangling by my hands in one your roach infested dungeons. So thanks but no thanks. Tell your 'host' that I send my regards."

Self-satisfyingly, she heard a low growl reverberate from his chest. His eyes narrowed.

"Rosemarie," he snarled his voice devoid of all friendliness, "Come with us now or you'll be sorry."

She snorted again.

"Is that your version of a threat? Pathetic," she scoffed, her eyes suddenly narrowing into tiny slits, her voice dropping into a low menacing tone," Here's a proper threat. Run along to your little mommies now or get ready to get to see the light. And you all know how you get into sunlight, do you? Now how's that for a threat?"

Without hesitating, she lunged at him, pulling out the stolen stake from behind her. In her adrenaline rush, she barely felt the pain throughout her body. The Strigoi's eyes widened a moment before he jumped back and blocked the blow. Unfortunately for him, his bare skin came into contact with the silver and he hissed in pain. He drew back, staggering a few steps, his pale skin boiling. He narrowed eyes angrily.

"You'll pay for that, little girl!" he snarled.

Rose smirked tauntingly at him, the stake seemingly dancing around her as she warded off the four Strigoi who were trying to get to their injured companion.

"What, no _Rosemarie_?" she said innocently.

The Strigoi growled and lunged at her, his red eyes glowing.

Skillfully, she dropped to the ground and rolled to the side. As the Strigoi flew past her, she gritted her teeth and used all the power she had to push the silver stake under his ribcage and through his heart. Of course, being a Moroi, she didn't have that much power to begin with but all those times she spent working out in the gym had proven the best for her and it did the trick.

He hissed in pain before his eyes grew dull and glassy and he dropped onto the ground with a loud thud. Rose pulled the stake out of him in no time, hesitating only when , turning to face the rest of his four companions who were now circling her more warily. She smirked at them.

"Rose Mazur, one. Ancients, negative."

Another one, female this time, stepped forward. Her red eyes glinted menacingly.

"How dare you!" she growled, "You will pay for what you did to Nathan!"

She placed her shoe on the dead Strigoi's, Nathan apparently, chest and smirked.

"Show me what you got."

This Strigoi was less skilled than the other one and she killed her easily. Despite the fact that they were probably Ancients who had been living for centuries on end, she was barely breathing hard. She tsked and waggled her finger disappointedly, her hand on her hip.

"If I'd known how pathetic you guys were, I'd probably had saved all the time I spent running away from you freak shows. Seriously, there's no fun in killing you guys!"

The Strigoi growled but, apparently, they were more experienced than the other two since they remained undaunted taunting. The only identification she had irritated them were the pulsing red circles around their irises. The biggest of the trio stepped forward, his hands held up as if he were surrendering.

"_Rosemarie_," he said in what he supposedly meant as a peaceful voice. _Peaceful my ass!_ She thought irritated.

"We are only here to bring you to our master, we mean no harm."

Rose risked a quick peek at the direction of the school. She felt a hint of panic, disappointment, worry and relief all rolled into one when she noticed a group of six shapes approaching her, a person with a mop of red hair in the lead. Relief for the extra backup. Worry for the guardians. Disappointment for the unfinished fight. And, most of all panic for their wellbeing. Facing the Ancients may be a peace of cake for her considering her abnormal Moroi power, speed and strength, but it might be another story for the guardians. Rose knew it was pointless worrying about them since they had been trained for this very purpose but she still found it hard to keep still. Nonetheless, she had to keep the Strigoi distracted from them to ensure they had the element of surprise. She smirked cryptically at the group of red eyed monsters in front of her.

"You know what's absolutely humoring about this situation? The fact that you're the big, bad Ancients who had years more practice and yet still unable to take me on. Me, a sixteen year old _Moroi _girl. Ha!"

The Strigoi at the back of the group snapped and he bared his fangs.

"Insolent fool!" he screamed before launching itself at her.

She sidestepped easily and prepared to pierce its skin with the silver. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed the other Strigoi taking positions imperceptibly around her before it was too late. With a sudden cry, she felt her ribcage crack under a strong pressure. Making new wounds and making her remember her old ones. She winced, gritting her teeth to keep herself from screaming. Straining her neck upwards, she caught sight of the horrible red eyes of the Strigoi. She couldn't help a strangled scream that escaped her.

"Let go of me, you undead bastard!" she screamed.

She could feel the vibrations from his chest as he chuckled lowly.

"Not so strong now, huh?" he breathed against her ear.

She shuddered, squirming all the more desperately.

She could faintly register the sounds of people shouting in the distance. Panicked and urgent voices. But, she was too preoccupied to care. She was slipping in and out of consciousness, the pain returning with a vengeance. A sticky liquid flowed down her arm.

All of a sudden, the Strigoi's arm slackened and he dropped her altogether. Her thoughts were incoherent and it was difficult to make out one from the other but slowly, the fog cleared and she was able to catch a glimpse of the battle through dazed eyes.

Amusingly, each Strigoi was battling three guardians each but they seemed to be on the loosing end. Rose rolled her eyes, smirking. _Amateurs, _she thought.

Pulling herself up onto her feet, she grunted against the pain. The stake from the guardian she had met earlier on was lying a few meters away from her, unnoticed by the guardians who were fighting hard. The Strigoi which had held her was dead at her feet, a stake sized whole in its side. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Once she knew she had the pain under control, she forced her eyes open and lunged for the stake. The odds didn't seem to be in the favor of the guardians since they were slowly but surely falling back. But she would help even the odds. She launched herself at the Strigoi, ignoring the guardian's shocked cries.

Unfortunately, the Strigoi was more experienced than the other two she fought. However, luck was on her side and, already weakened by the other guardians, she was able to stake him after a few minutes of the dance of death.

She noticed the other guardians staring at her uncomprehendingly.

"Well?" she demanded, "Help the others!"

They scrambled towards the other guardians. All except for one. He was 6'7", lean muscles, chocolate brown eyes, brown shoulder length hair and a deep tan. In normal circumstances, she would say that he was hot but now was not the time.

"Go!" she said, inserting all her Mazur authority in the command.

He blinked as though under a trance before running off to help the others. Rose followed shortly, after checking her wounds to see if she could still fight. The answer was no but she knew that at the rate the guardians were going, they would take the whole day. She ran past the guardians using her Strigoi equivalent speed and sped toward the area where the trio was fighting the Strigoi. Guardian Hathaway was amongst them. She caught her eye.

All of a sudden, disaster struck. Being distracted by the sight of Rose, she didn't notice the Strigoi, who had broken past the two guardians, behind her until it was too late.

She screamed as she felt his hand connect with her side, his claws cutting into her skin deeply. In a spray of blood, she flew through the clearing and ploughed into a tree where she remained unmoving. Gasps of shock, anger and disbelief echoed in the clearing. Rose included. Her hand clenched tightly around the stake she was holding, ignoring the burst of pain which traveled up her length. Her vision was dotted with red. Fury ran in her veins. Knowing nothing could stop her, she threw herself at the Strigoi's back. The unsuspecting Strigoi let out a surprised growl and she found herself holding onto dear life.

"Say hello to the others for me," she whispered in his ear coldly before plunging the stake deep within its heart. He immediately stopped bucking and fell to the ground, dead.

Rose rolled off the unmoving body and, ignoring the stares of awe from the other guardians, limped over to where the brown eyed guardian was kneeling over Guardian Hathaway. He had his guardian mask on but she saw incredible sadness cross his facial expressions.

"Is she-?" She couldn't bring herself to say the words but the guardian nodded.

"Dead," he confirmed.

Without permission, two big teardrops rolled down her face. She broke down sobbing at the guardian's side.

"It's my fault," she gasped, "If I had been able to get here on time, she would have lived!"

She felt a couple of hesitating hands wind their way around her shoulders.

"Hey, it's alright, it's not your fault. If it weren't for you, more people would have died."

It was the brown eyed guardian. Now that she had a better hear of it, she noticed the mild Russian accent in his voice. Before she could let herself get carried away, a sudden idea popped into her mind. She gasped loudly, jerking out of the guardian's warm embrace.

"I can heal her!" she exclaimed loudly, remembering the phenomenon that had occurred a few minutes or hours before.

Ignoring the puzzled and disbelieving stares from everyone in the clearing, she grabbed the dead woman's hand. It felt like it should have been, cold, lifeless. Dead. She steered away from the fact that she was holding a deceased person's hand and concentrated all her energy on the woman. _Heal, heal, heal_, she chanted like a mantra in her mind.

Slowly, but surely, the strange feelings returned. Hot, cold, hot, cold, happiness. She heard the astonished gasps echoing around the clearing but didn't let her thoughts stray. The hand she held was slowly increasing in temperature, the sound of blood gushing slowly ceasing.

_Heal, heal, heal_.

Her energy decreased the longer she held onto the woman's hand and she slowly felt the life draining out of her. Her will, her identity, her memories.

Willing herself, she allowed one more burst of energy to flow to the woman before she fell into consciousness. Drained but still alive.

Beside her, the body twitched once.

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><p><em>Alright, I think that's the <strong>longest chapter<strong> I've ever written. **Ever**. Hope you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun writing it. Remember to **REVIEW**! _

_Greekgirl, out!_


	3. Chapter 2: Surprises

Janine Hathaway knew something was amiss as she crawled through the thick vegetation surrounding her. Not one sound could be heard in the forest, and although there were occasional hoots which sounded alarmingly like warnings, it was totally silent. She realized, her hair on her neck rising, that it was unnatural, eerie. A dark force was at work. Her hand subconsciously moved closer to the stake hidden in her back pocket. Its electrifying presence brought her some comfort but it could not dispel the growing sense of discomfort within her. Her eyes darted around the under brush, twitching ever so closer to the silver at the slightest sound. Her mind processed everything with sharp clarity. Dead leaves scattered on the forest floor crunched as they were stepped on and compressed..

Her mind flashbacked to a few minutes before, when she had still been safely in the wards.

"Guardian Petrov," she greeted with a nod. A smile played at her mouth but she hid it behind her guardian mask.

She had known Alberta since when they'd been in grade school. Inseparable from the start, they proved a match to be reckoned with in both the looks and physique department. Guardian Janine Hathaway was a legend of her kind having killed more Strigoi known to Guardians and only boosted further by the fact that she was a female. Females weren't widely known for their Strigoi slaying kills. She had more than twelve Molnija and a Gifted mark tattooed in the Queen's, herself, presence. In short, she was badass. A very hot tempered badass but a badass all the same.

"Guardian Hathaway," returned Alberta in the same neutral tone. Only Janine could feel the familiarity underlying her words.

She took her station beside her, her posture stiff and erect. The scene being played before their eyes was mildly amusing and although it was an urgent matter, she found herself stifling a giggle.

Headmistress Ellen Kirova stood in the middle of the room. Her hands were on her hips and she looked as if anything that she was about to explode. Her face was a bright red and although she was trying to look intimidating, puffing out her chest and glaring coldly, she couldn't achieve that with the mobster like man in front of her, towering by a few feet.

He himself looked strange. Clothed in a flashy striped red and yellow scarf and a black and white dress suit, he was unlike anyone she had ever seen. Alberta choked down her laughter and managed to keep a straight face. Strangely though, Janine found it endearing.

Of course, his expression was anything but.

His face, hardened by years of hardships, was rough and hard. Worry lines had creased his face over time. His mouth set in a permanently scowl, the black, short and prim goatee further heightened that hostility. Despite herself, Janine found herself slightly drawn to the man. Somehow, she felt that underneath that tough exterior was a soft, understanding man. Only to those who managed to breach his defenses, however.

He had barged in here sometime around nine, introducing himself as Ibrahim Mazur before getting right down to the point. Apparently, he was searching for an important relative of some sort. Currently, he was shouting at the Headmistress demanding to know whether they had come across a hazel haired sixteen year old girl with wide emerald green eyes speckled with chocolate brown eyes.

_A queer eye color_, Janine mused, _but unique all the same_.

"So, you're sure she's not here?" he boomed.

His voice held authority but also some type of desperation, distress.

"I have already told you a million times, Lord Mazur," cried Kirova, throwing her hands up in exasperation, though a hint of fear colored her words and actions," We have not heard of any Rosemarie Mazur wandering around here recently!"

Ibrahim growled an animalistic and low growl which almost sounded feral.

The youngest guardian in the room, Guardian Dimitri Belikov, stood against the far wall, watching the events with reserved eyes. He was tense and ready to spring at any moment but was holding himself back. Everyone knew Ibrahim Mazur wasn't what everyone had thought he was, if the trio of bloodied guardians standing behind him was any identification. The shortest one, female as well, also looked worried. Her golden eyes shining with a type of worry usually seen on faces of mothers for their children. _Were they looking for her child?_ wondered Janine. A pang of an unknown feeling struck her heart. The other two were both males. One with blonde hair with sky blue eyes and the other with jet black hair and serious dark eyes. Both had the same expression the female did. The situation was incredibly intriguing.

"My _daughter_," he managed to say through gritted teeth, "is out there right now, facing a group of Ancient Strigoi, alone, injured and hurt."

He seemed to be getting angrier with every word he said but he choked out the last few words painfully.

"And you seem to be saying that you can provide no help for her?"

The made distress in his eyes had developed and could now be unmistakably seen from where she was standing. She shivered. There was something sinister about his glare that made him seem evil. Kirova paled as the brunt of his anger hit her.

"No si-sir," she stuttered," I will get my best guardians to help you in your search."

Ibrahim, not having lost that manic gleam in his eye yet let out a humorless laugh.

"You'd better," he said shadily, shadows seemingly covering the side of his face, "Or you'll regret it. "

The threat itself didn't sound that frightening but it was how he delivered it which made it scary.

Kirova lost all her color and backed away slowly, obviously startled and probably frightened at his change in attitude all of a sudden.

"Yes, Lord Mazur," she bowed awkwardly then hurried off to the office where she began yelling hysterically at the bewildered and confused staff.

He nodded stiffly and, whirling around by his heels, stalked out of the room. Before he could leave, however, the new guardian spoke up.

"Lord Mazur," he said in a deep Russian accent, "may I ask, is Rosemarie a Dhampir or a Moroi?"

Janine was slightly surprised at the bravery of the young guardian and reprimanded herself for not asking the question in the first place. She turned towards Ibrahim who had turned to face Dimitri. His mouth was set in a thin line, as though he were inches from snapping. After about an eternity, he finally spoke, his anger gone and in its place misery, panic and sadness.

"Moroi," he said quietly, "Rose is Moroi."

He left the room, his guardians trailing after him. The black haired one stopped at the the door, his guardian mask was off and he now looked apologetic. He bowed mildly.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologized," He hasn't been himself lately, ever since Rose was taken. We all aren't. We'll be in the guest room if you need us. Good day."

He bowed again abruptly and marched out of the room where the guardians were pacing anxiously. Her heart went out for them, even though they had only met for a few minutes and it had not been that pleasant that introduction. Her heart especially went out for the older Moroi sitting on the long red couch in the foyer, head buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking with silent, frustrated sobs.

"Hathaway!" barked the headmistress from the staff door, she seemed to be searching for a certain Lord Mazur. When she noticed his absence, her cheeks regained some of her coloring and some of her attitude returned.

"Get in here now!" she shouted, a little louder than before.

Janine tore her eyes away from the sad scene that was playing out in the foyer and glared at Kirova.

"Yes, Headmistress."

Alberta made a grab for her fingers and squeezed them. Her eyes also shone with sympathy for the man. '_Be careful_,' she mouthed. She forced a small, sad grin.

'_Always,_' she answered.

And she entered the lion's den.

Janine was shocked out of her thoughts by a soft yet shrill scream just to her right. She took off running, her legs seemed to move at their own accord and her mind was racing. Her hand was already grasping the stake in a blink. It was nearing dusk and Janine had to carry out the rescue operation before night if she wanted to avoid any Strigoi confrontations. She approached a forest clearing bathed in the dying rays of the sun. There, in the middle of the flat terrain was a blood covered girl. She looked about the right size for the Rosemarie Mazur whom they had been informed on. Her right arm was at a funny angle while the other had a long scar trailing from around her wrist to the edge of her shirt and probably more under her shirt, which was obscuring her view to see her injuries. She ached to check on her, help her but she couldn't be too sure she hadn't turned Strigoi. Risking a probable death, she deliberately stepped on a cluster of leaves in front of her. She held her breath but released them when the girls' head snapped up and she realized no red rings lined her irises.

The girl, though wounded, jumped to her feet.

"Who's there?" she said in a hoarse, pain filled voice. Despite the evident hurt, she no doubt held the same Mazur authority in her voice as Ibrahim. She no longer doubted that she was indeed Rose Mazur everyone was searching for.

Hesitantly, she stepped out into the quickly dying sunlight to allow Rose to clearly see her.

Obvious relief crossed her face followed not long after by a look of weariness and tire.

"Thank god," she said in a voice almost too quiet for her Dhampir ears to pick up.

Luckily, Janine anticipated what would happen before she did herself and she managed to catch her before she fainted and made contact with the ground. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and shifted Rose so that she was supporting most of her weight. Now, given the closer look, she was able to see Rose's features more clearly. She didn't have the usual Moroi build, sticklike and pale complexion. Instead, she had a curved body shape and was incredibly tan. It seemed to go well with her eyes and hair color.

_All Mazurs are different from the rest,_ she reasoned, trying to shake away a growing sense of unease as she took in all her open cuts. She pulled at the blood soaked shirt softly, wincing when Rose gave a small whimper of pain in her unconscious. She had to force down her breakfast when she saw the horrible cut across her chest. She tugged it back down as Rose came to.

Slowly, Rose tiredly peeled her eyelids from her eyes. Confusion passed then recognition lit up her face.

Janine slipped on her guardian mask to hide any feelings she was hiding.

"Hello, miss?" she asked, managing to neutralize most of her worry though not all, from her question.

She was close to unconsciousness and she was struggling to stay awake.

"Yes?" she managed to gargle, her eyes half lidded and glazed. Sweat lined her forehead. Janine heaved an internal sigh of relief when she heard her tired but well alive voice. She looked half dead anyone would have guessed that she was.

"Miss, what is your name?"

She had to make sure she was the right girl before she got Ibrahim's hopes up. Though she was fairly sure she was the one.

Rose seemed to squint hard before remembering her own name.

"My name is… Rose," she all but whispered.

_Rose? Rose what?_ She almost screamed. A pang of worry hit her, (Had she suffered any damages to her memory?) though, it was tainted with relief. She was the one. She just had to confirm her surname.

"What's your surname Rose?" she asked urgently. She was floating in and out of consciousness, forcing her eyes open. Janine looked around frantically and cursed. She needed somebody to help her carry Rose back to the school. She should be able to handle it alone were it not for her condition. She would probably cause more pain than help.

Unfortunately, she passed out before she could answer the crucial question. She sighed frustrated but forced herself to calm down. It wasn't her fault she wasn't able to answer her question. She was injured and tired. Thinking about it now, she shouldn't have pushed so hard for her answers. Ibrahim would surely kill her if he found out. Nonetheless, her unique eye color already confirmed her thoughts. Emerald green with chocolate brown specks. Rosemarie Mazur for sure. She pitied the poor girl, though she held silent awe for her for managing get away from the Strigoi but the worst was yet to come.

Janine eyed the multiple cuts on her body silently making a decision. She slowly separated Rose's lower and upper jaw, revealing her sharp but incredibly short fangs. They glinted in the dying sunlight. She gulped audibly and imperceptibly moved the fangs to her neck. As they sank in, the quick flash of pain passed quickly and she found herself immersed in the europhia of the bite. She didn't know how much time had passed but, all too soon the fangs were removed and the high wore off. She yearned for it again and immediately felt embarrassment. Rose, who had woken up a few seconds ago, was watching her, gratefulness shining in her eyes.

"Hello?" she asked.

Now that the color was back in her cheeks and the light in her eyes, she now looked more like her father. Janine hid a smile, she looked beautiful, in a half dead kind of way. On impulse, she felt her hand move up from her side where it lay and to the new bite mark on her neck. It was a clean hole, about the size of a bullet. Blood was still seeping out but not that much. Her cheeks reddened slightly and, to hide her embarrassment, she slipped on her guardian mask.

"Are you alright now?" she asked, embarrassment, she had worked so hard to hide, colored her words.

Rose nodded gratefully, her green-brown eyes shining. Radiant.

"Thank you…" she paused obviously waiting for her to state her name.

She gave her guardian rank.

The blood had stopped by that time and the collar of her guardian shirt was covered with dry crimson. The europhia had faded to a degree but she found it hard to stop her want for Rose's fangs to be at her neck.

"Well, thank you Guardian Hathaway."

Janine shook herself out of her daze and found Rose looking around questioningly, still looking slightly dazed but much better than before. If you ignored the bloody clothes and the multiple holes at her neck.

"By the way, do you know where we are?"

Janine nodded and pulled herself onto her feet. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there but it must've been long considering the extreme cramps in her legs.

"We're in Montana, close to the school."

Rose was bright and was able to figure out what she meant by that. She seemed excited by the concept of Saint Vladimir just a few meters away.

She gave her a hand to grasp, smiling at the almost childlike enthusiasm of none other than the scary Ibrahim's child.

She smiled at her and took it. However, the moment her hand came into contact with the rough skin on her hand, an unexpected feeling passed through her. Hot, cold, hot, cold. Feelings of happiness exploded.

Janine gasped and, going on a guess, reached to touch her neck. She only felt smooth skin where she expected a small hole. She stifled a gasp.

In the background, she vaguely heard Rose ranting and asking what happened. She met her eyes.

"We need to get you back to St. Vlads, now!" she said urgently, pulling her along. Her mind was running. This was why the Strigoi had wanted to take Rose hostage and turn her. She could heal people, probably not _just _people. Animals, plants, anything!

As she pulled her along, she barely registered that Rose wasn't talking, engrossed in her thoughts as she was. But before long, she felt the weight escape her hand with an unexpected tug and a cold wind passed her. With disbelieving eyes, she realized it was Rose, going at the speed of a newly awakened Strigoi. Her mouth dropped briefly. This girl had a lot of surprises. She put on a burst of speed in a vain attempt to catch up with Rose but she only seemed to get farther and farther away.

Her footsteps echoed across the still forest and her breath came in labored pants, Rose's footsteps fading fast. It was ironic. A highly experienced guardian is outrun by a novice, a Moroi in fact. Out of desperation, she shouted out her name.

"Rose! Rose! Slow down!"

She didn't seem to hear her. She increased her volume.

"ROSE!"

This time, she heard and slowed down. Janine managed to catch up with her then shortly, wheezing, hard. Amazingly, Rose looked like she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"How did you manage to go that fast?" she asked, breathing deeply.

She half expected her to reveal the reason but her hopes were dashed when Rose smirked cheekily and teased," Trade secret, sorry can't tell."

She giggled when she scowled.

Out of the blue, a twig snapped behind them.

Everything happened in a haze. One moment she was standing in front of Rose, talking, joking even and the next she was being pulled to the side as a group of five Strigoi, by the looks of them, all Ancient, appeared at the spot where she had previously been.

She couldn't hold back a gasp.

"They're not supposed to be grouped that largely!" she heard herself exclaim through the fog.

"Well, guess what, they are and unless you want to be dead in the next five seconds, I suggest we, RUN!"

Her panic managed to cut through the haze and she started running away from the Strigoi, much slower than Rose but having gotten a head start, not by much.

Then, just as suddenly, as she started running, she stopped and turned toward her. Unable to stop in time, she ran past her. She felt a tug in her hands and realized with a start that her stake was gone.

She stopped in her tracks, watching Rose in incredulity.

"Go!" Rose yelled at her.

"But you'll be killed!" she snapped back. A strange feeling bubbled up within her. Seeds of doubt started forming in her mind. _They come first, they come first, they come first. She couldn't leave her on her own! Or could she_?

"I'll be fine," she continued insisting. The Strigoi were nearing every second they delayed. "I'm not like average Moroi. Just get some reinforcement. Hopefully, I'll still be alive by the time you reach here."

A haze seemed to settle on Janine's mind and she suddenly found herself unable to refuse.

Through her dazed conscience, she felt herself nod before taking off running towards the school, shouting at the top of her lungs the whole way.

"Rose is in trouble! She needs help!"

To Janine, the very ground seemed to tremble as an incredibly panicked looking and stressed Ibrahim sprinted toward her, followed by his guardians, the school's guardians and Kirova herself. Despite his disheveled appearance, she still couldn't get it out of her mind how handsome he looked…

"Where is she?" he demanded, looking around frantically trying to catch sight of his daughter.

Her breath was short of screaming and running but she managed to say, "She's in the woods, fighting off a bunch of Strigoi!"

Ibrahim cursed, a fury ignited in his eyes. He looked ready to murder someone there and then.

"For gods sake, woman! Why did you leave her there then?"

Janine froze and the past few seconds rushed back to her.

"She made me, I wasn't in control of my own mind," she whispered disbelievingly, eyes wide.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up.

"Janine, there is no time for this, where is Rose?" Alberta asked.

Janine shook herself out of her shock.

"She's there," she said weakly, pointing toward the forests where she had just exited.

Alberta nodded but she still seemed concerned for her friend. _We'll talk about this later,_ she conveyed through her eyes.

Janine nodded distractedly before they started sprinting.

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><p><em>Hope you like it, phew! Another long chapter! If I keep this up, I'll be in the habit of writing 3000+ words. :D Next is in <strong>Dimitri's POV<strong>_


	4. Chapter 3: Lullaby

_Hey, just wanted to let you know that this will be my **last update in a while**, about **four weeks**? Alright, sorry! I know I'm like going against all my promises but what are you supposed to do if you have exams? Yup, **I have exams**. This is the lucky story I will be updating in a while. See you!_

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><p>Dimitri Belikov had never gone off deliberately to look for Strigoi, even if it was with a group. Sure he had come across them before and, with much difficulty, managed to stake them (resulting in the six Molnija marks he now had tattooed on his neck) but he had never, as in <em>never<em>, tried to pick a fight on purpose. But that had changed. Now, here he was, in the middle of a search and rescue mission for Rosemarie Hathaway, daughter of the mobster-like and shady (and not to mention hot tempered) Ibrahim Mazur whom the school had never known, nor even heard, of before. He wondered what was so special about the girl to have a whole group of people worry over her like that. She had even managed to get through to Ibrahim and that itself was a huge achievement. Dimitri guessed he would never be able to come to speaking terms with him, never mind closeness.

Despite the fact that it was wrong, he wasn't that all surprised when Ibrahim had said Rose was a Moroi. If you took away the mobster's flashy clothes and permanent scowl, you could most definitely say he looked nice, handsome even. Not that he was the one to tell. He could've had his choice of women, Dhampir or Moroi must've swooned over him. Rose just happened to be the result of him picking the latter for that one time.

In his mind's eye, he imagined Rose as like most Moroi. Thin, plain, unattractive and too big a head for her own good, snobbish too, probably.

Though all that went out the window when he first saw her in the distance, as they were rushing in to save her.

She looked like a young goddess. She was totally different from what he expected her to be. Her green emerald eyes speckled with brown were captivating, seemingly capable of holding many emotions and also hiding them. Her skin, unlike those of the usual Moroi, was tan and her body shape was curved. Her hazel brown hair, even from afar, shined, looking silky and luscious. It created some sort of angel's halo around her head. Dimitri imagined what it would be like to run his hands through her soft locks.

He mentally slapped himself at the errant thought. What was he thinking? She was a Moroi, a young Moroi in fact, around seven years younger than him, innocent, uncorrupted. Not to mention he was insulting her a few minutes before. He couldn't take that away from her! He felt uneasy with his line of thoughts but turned his attention to the battle at hand.

For a Moroi and underage student, she seemed to be holding her own quite well. A stake from who-knows-where was firmly gripped in her hand, held like a true professional would. Two Strigoi bodies lay around her, unmoving. Dead. Amazing. Dimitri briefly wondered how the girl had managed to get that good.

But it was too early to be praising her. Three more were still alive, undead anyway. Rose seemed to be conversing with one of them but what she didn't notice was the other two came from behind. He didn't know what Rose was saying but the Strigoi seemed angered by it. Panic bubbled up from within him. What was she doing? Run! Of course she didn't hear him and as a result, the offended Strigoi growled and lunged at her. She tensed, gripping her stake, preparing to stake him but was caught unaware when a pair of Strigoi hands wrapped around her, immobilizing her, forcing her to drop her stake. Rose screamed, a shrill pain filled scream that he never wanted to hear again.

White, hot anger mixed in with jealousy pumped in his veins. Red started clouding his vision. He wanted to rip off the damned Strigoi's arms and make him burn in the pits of hell for hurting her, heck for just touching her! Wait a moment, _his Roza_? Where had that come from?

He shook it off. There was plenty of time to think later.

A strangled sort of animalistic growl escaped him as he watched the undead creature lean in and whisper something in her ear. Luckily, they were close enough to attack by that time, and that's what Dimitri did.

Sneaking up on the unsuspecting Strigoi stealthily, he took his stake and plunged it deep into his heart. He had done it so quickly that the other two had no time to react. He only managed to give a little scream before his head lolled lifelessly to one side and his eyes grew dull and glassy. He spilled to the floor, dropping Roza with him. Now that he had a closer look, he realized that she was in a worse condition than he hoped.

Though she didn't seem like she noticed it, the bone at her elbow was sticking out gruesomely, blood pouring out from the open wound. Her other arm didn't look that good either. A long wound lined her wrist to mid chest; at least it was closed up.

She didn't seem to notice Dimitri as she painstakingly pulled herself up and surveyed the chaos around her. Strangely, she didn't look scared. Heck, she even looked bemused by it. Rolling her eyes, and promptly ignoring her critical wounds, she made a dash for the stake a few meters from her.

She looked dangerous, a mad glint in her eye. The angel of death.

She grabbed the stake and, without warning, launched herself at the Strigoi Celeste and Yuri was fighting. He gasped loudly and protested that she would get killed but he was proved wrong. She moved like a newly awakened Strigoi. One moment she was just in front of him, looking as furious and angelic as possible, and the next she was beside the two guardians, standing in front of the carcass of a dead Strigoi. Impossibly, she hadn't broken a sweat and the only indication the gushing wound on her arm was bothering her was the imperceptible twitches it was making. The guardians in watching range, including Belikov, stared at her in awe. That is until she ordered them away. A strange fog descended on his mind and he watched as the other guardians scurried away, toward where the rest of the guardians were still fighting their Strigoi. He managed to push it away and continued staring at Rose. One word could only be used to describe how she looked even in the heat of the moment. Beautiful. She noticed my staring and something flashed in her eyes before it changed to annoyance.

"Go!" she commanded, looking at him in the eye.

A stronger, impossible-to-ignore daze descended on him and his eyes glazed. He blinked then followed after the others, pondering over what happened. Rose lagged behind.

When Dimitri arrived at the scene of the battle, he almost wished he had never come at all. The guardians seemed on the losing side, two, Stan and Alberta, were already on the ground, wincing from the wounds that had been inflicted upon them, and Janine, the only one who was able to fight now, was giving all she had. Apparently, all she had wasn't good enough.

In the midst of the fight, she caught sight of Rose running toward her. That was enough distraction the Strigoi needed. Putting all his strength into the one hit, he drew back his hand and hit Janine clean across the clearing.

Everyone gasped and a loud cry was heard in the forest. Alberta.

Dimitri felt his eyes being drawn to Rose and found himself frightened by the look of pure malice on her face. The hand which was holding the stake was white and her face was creased into a scowl. She was a woman on a mission and nothing could stop her from accomplishing it.

She growled menacingly before throwing herself at the Strigoi's unprotected back. He bucked and jumped but he couldn't shake the young Moroi. Rose leaned in close and whispered something I his ear, which made him lose what color he had left in his pain skin. He opened his mouth say something but was stopped when Rose plunged the stake deep into the Strigoi's heart. He dropped to the ground, dead.

Dimitri watched as she made the kill, shocked at how much skill she held. There was no mistake about it. Rose was no ordinary Moroi.

Looking exhausted, she heaved herself over to where Janine lay unmoving. Dimitri didn't know he had limped over to her while he was watching Rose but was glad he had. He stared uncomprehendingly at the body of the greatest guardian of all time. A pool of blood surrounded him. Tears pooled at his eyes but he forced them away, slipping on his guardian mask while he was at it.

From the corner of his eye, he watched Rose as she kneeled over Janine with him, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Is she-?" she whispered in a sorrow filled voice.

"Dead," he completed remorsefully.

Two big teardrops rolled down her cheeks before the whole dam burst and she broke down sobbing on the ground. His heart ached for this girl, though he didn't know why, but something about her was appealing to him and right now all he wanted was to wipe those tears away but he refrained.

"It's my fault," he heard her stutter out through her tears, "If I'd been able to get here on time, she would have lived!"

Anger flared throughout him as he heard his angel blame herself but he calmed himself and instead settled for the next best thing.

Hesitantly, he shuffled closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened slightly when his hands came into contact with her skin but it soon faded and she melted right into his arms, still sobbing hysterically but less so. He resisted the urge to bury his face in her smooth, silky hair but it was difficult.

"Hey, it's alright, it's not your fault. If it weren't for you, more people would have died," he comforted.

Before he could say anything else, she suddenly gasped and jerked herself out of his arms. Dimitri missed the contact immediately but he was more worried for her mental health. _Was she okay?_

"I can heal her!" she exclaimed loudly, looking excited and worried at the same time.

_Definitely_ _not_.

"Rose," he said sympathetically, trying to grab her attention. But she ignored him, and everyone else, and grabbed Janine's hand.

Her face creased in concentration and her mouth gritted tightly. It would have been cute were it not for the fact that she was holding a dead person's hand.

"Rose," he repeated, shooting her a worried look, "Come on, Ibrahim's waiting for you."

No response. He was about to open his mouth again when he heard loud gasps erupt from all over the forest clearing. Dimitri followed their gazes and felt his mouth drop open as he watched Janine's wounds slowly close up.

He alternated disbelieving looks from Janine to Rose. _What was this girl?_ Janine's body was gaining color, blood stopped gushing from the wounds mostly on her side. Slowly, imperceptibly, her chest rose and fell.

"Oh my god," he heard a feminine voice breathe from behind him.

But as he watched, Rose lost what little color she had, her breath started coming in deep, ragged gasps, blood trickled out of her nose. And she collapsed onto the ground. Little gasping sounds still came from her which meant she was alive, but barely.

Breaking out from his trance, he immediately panicked. He scooped Rose up in his arms gingerly.

"Alto!" he yelled, his eyes never leaving Rose's pain filled face.

"Belikov?"

"Get Janine and head back to the school."

He didn't hear an answer, which meant he must have nodded.

"Alberta, help him out, Celeste and the rest, follow me," he ordered as he started running toward the direction of the school.

The sounds of scrambling feet followed him, but he didn't bother to look back. Making an effort to stay in control, he swallowed the lump building up inside his throat. _Wake up, Roza, for me,_ he willed.

The school loomed up ahead and Dimitri managed to decipher the shapes of around six people pacing the gates.

He put on a burst of speed when he realized that Dr. Olendzki was there too.

"Ibrahim! Ellen! I've got her!" he yelled.

The second to the tallest one, probably Ibrahim, stopped pacing and immediately started racing toward them, meeting them halfway. For a Moroi, he was quite fast. But not as fast as Rose though.

"Rose!" he shouted when he saw the state she was in. "What happened?"

Dimitri contemplated whether to tell him or not, but he decided it would be hard to explain. He shook his head, "Later."

Ibrahim looked angry but strangely enough, didn't explode all over him for it. Instead, he focused on Rose.

He cursed when he noticed the bone jutting out from her elbow. The gleam he had gotten in the foyer was back with a vengeance now. Dimitri could literally feel the waves of anger coming off him.

"Damn those Strigoi," he muttered darkly," I'll make sure they're eradicated from the face of the Earth when I'm done with them."

Dimitri shuddered, turning his attention to the other shapes rushing toward them, only two staying put. He somehow knew that Ibrahim would carry out his threat. He was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of his fury. The female guardian reached them first. She too cussed and looked worried for Rose's wellbeing. Next came the other two guardians, having the same reactions as the female.

"Dr. Olendzki, Rose needs help," he said when he reached the two who had remained, Kirova and Olendzki.

Her eyes widened briefly at the state Rose was in but she nodded.

"Bring her to the infirmary, hurry!"

Five hours later, dawn was breaking and Rose wasn't out of surgery yet. Ibrahim, his guardians, Dimitri, Alberta and Janine were the only ones who bothered to stay. The rest had gone their separate ways, after expressing their sympathy for Rose and hoping the best for her well being, of course. Janine had arrived a few minutes later than Rose, carried in by an exhausted Stan and Alan. She had woken up a few hours ago, looking incredibly tired but miraculously, still alive. They explained to Ibrahim and Janine Rose's part during the rescue and how Janine had died and was brought back to life. Ibrahim was as awe struck as them at that point and confirmed that it had never happened before in the past and Janine looked grateful for her. Although she still looked the same and had most of her health, and life, restored to her by Rose, she had become strangely withdrawn and reserved and only spoke when spoken to, not included when she was with Alberta. They both talked like gossipers. She winced at strange times and had been caught, several times, making multiple journeys to the gym, where she would spend the next fifteen minutes doing god-knows-what. Once she went of the handle when Dimitri spoke with her and only calmed down after a good hour, and that with Alberta's help. Secretly, Dimitri resented Janine for her attitude and new found temper but didn't dare speak out. She was already bordering the line of insanity and what he could say would just tip her off the edge. And he didn't want that. Nobody did.

And he thought he was doing quite well from preventing that. Until Janine waked up from her nap on the clinic seats with a shrill scream. It coincided perfectly with another scream from further within the hospital walls. Alberta, whose lap Janine was nestling on, looked incredibly flustered, checking her childhood friends for any injury but found none. It was as though she wasn't in complete control of her body. Her eyes were far away; her mouth still open but now no sound escaped it.

Ibrahim and Dimitri stared helplessly at the two ladies, torn between checking up on Rose, whom the owner of the second scream was suspected to be, and helping Alberta with Janine. As if sensing their indecisiveness, she gave a weak smile and gave them a go ahead sign, or as much as she could while she was shaking Janine out of her stupor.

Ibrahim barely looked twice and immediately sped off down the corridor to the room where her daughter was held. Dimitri followed suit, hesitating briefly before nodding at her.

Unlike Janine, Rose's scream was still going strong. It sounded horrible, pain and anguish filled and holding oh so much vulnerability. Everyone they came across, be it Moroi or Dhampir, stopped dead in their tracks, hearing the horrible sound.

With every second that passed, he watched as Ibrahim's face contorted into a mask of pure pain. The sound of echoing footsteps was the only indication Ibrahim's guards were hot on their tail. Otherwise, he would have been caught up in his own little nightmare, his Roza's screams sounding everywhere.

Every step he took felt like an eternity before he could reach her.

A decade later, he found himself standing at the foot of her bed, Ibrahim occupying the whole left side of the bed and his guardians, the right. Rose was sitting up in her bed, her eyes pure white and wide with invisible fear. She was still screaming at the top of her lungs. Filled with horror, Ibrahim threw himself at her, hugging tight, holding her to him as close as possible. He was murmuring incoherent words under his breath. Unknowingly, tears were streaming down his cheeks. Uncomfortably, Dimitri shifted, knowing he had come in on a private moment, but didn't attempt to leave the room.

After a moment, Rose's screams abated and soft, choked up sobs came from her. Her eyes returned to their normal, unique color and she relaxed from her rigid posture.

"Don't leave me again," she was whimpering, her face buried in Ibrahim's chest.

He looked heartbroken at the very mention of it but kept silent and instead brushed her hazel hair softly with the back of her hand.

"Never, kiz, never," he muttered softly.

Dimitri watched as Roza eventually relaxed completely and fell limp in Ibrahim's arms.

Slowly, so as not to wake Rose, Ibrahim lowered her into her cot. The three guardians were all staring at her with the same loving looks.

Tears glistening in his eyes, Ibrahim faced Dimitri.

"Thank you," he said softly, the strange vulnerability he showed Roza plastered on his face briefly," Thank you for bringing her back here and helping her through her pain."

He was saddened at how broken the man was but he still shook his head.

"It wasn't just me," he answered," It was everyone, especially Janine. They deserve your thanks too. But, you're welcome."

He turned on his heel, his body aching to return to his Roza but knowing that Ibrahim wanted to make up for lost time.

"Belikov," a voice said behind him.

He paused halfway through the household and looked over his shoulder questioningly.

"Call me Abe," he smiled.

A tiny flicker of a smile crossed Dimitri's face.

"You're welcome, Abe."

He exited the room just as a foreign language lullaby filled the air. _For a mobster, that man had a good voice, _he thought as he strode off.

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed it, it will be the last in a while. Remember to REVIEW!<em>


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